We were in the area so dropped by. As of November 22nd, 24th Street, where the entrance is located, is currently under construction. It's now one way only and you can only enter from Durham. When you drive in, there's a handful of places you can parallel park and it's one way only where there's maybe 3-4 more non-parallel parking spots before it winds around the 2 story building and empties you back into Durham. Basically: parking can be tight right now, but I imagine that is a regular thing even before construction. I know someone else mentioned street parking, but it's not possible right now with road work. I admit I don't prefer parallel parking, but I guess it's good practice.
As soon as you walk in, it's all aesthetics. Place was minimalist and modern in decor but also warm. Conversations in soft tones. Beautiful mugs and these odd straws - transparent tan with specks of something - they're "veggie straws", but not the edible kind! I loved it though. When used, just lightly textured and otherwise feels like plastic - but it's not.
I had my 3 year old with me and my friend and we were very out of place. However, the staff didn't seem all that put off or unwelcoming, though their menu is very much not kid friendly. The place in general seemed to scream "don't touch, not meant to be played with." They focus on good coffee (think single origin) and good ingredients. Don't expect any flavored syrups! They have one item on there by the name of "COCOA MILK" ($6). I asked if it was kid friendly and the "no" came quickly. They said there wasn't any artificial sugar and something about using the best cocoa. The fruit was mentioned, so I was expecting milk flavored with the cocoa FRUIT, which I have had before and liked. I got it for my kid anyway. It tasted like really nice, dark chocolate milk. It borders on bittersweet and I enjoyed it. So did my 3 year old. I attribute it to the fact that he likes dark chocolate. The best part - not very sweet!
For myself, I got the Matcha Latte ($7.50) made with Uji matcha. I admit I don't know much about matcha - only that I like it - but they are very helpful if you have any questions. They serve 2 types of Matcha and I cannot remember the name of the other but they had mentioned it being bright but Uji was more earthy and traditional, so I picked it. It's a "shot" of matcha with whole milk (or oat milk) and a shot of espresso. I did like it quite a bit. Not too bitter, not sweet. Perfection.
I sometimes get a headache with more than one serving of caffeine a day, but had no issues on this day (a Friday, after lunch pick me up). I had a latte that morning.
To round it off, I ordered a Basque Cheesecake ($8.50) to share. Yum! It's not as creamy as other Basque cheesecakes I've had, but it was still decadently delicious and the caramelization from the browned-bordering-on-burnt top is quintessential for this type of cheesecake.
They also have some bagged coffee and coffee-related items for purchase in the back. Despite the building being 2 stories, I don't believe a second floor is open. Even with the limited parking, almost all the tables were full. Most were there to work but a few, myself included, were there for a break/chat.
Coffee purists - FLOCK HERE. If not one, try it once anyway to get a taste of good coffee and delicious pastries. I'd love to return again with my husband, who does love his black coffee. read more